The subject matter disclosed herein relates to gas turbines, and more specifically, to seals within turbines.
In general, gas turbine engines combust a mixture of compressed air and fuel to produce hot combustion gases. The combustion gases may flow through one or more turbine stages to generate power for a load and/or compressor. A pressure drop may occur between stages, which may allow flow of a fluid, such as combustion gases, through unintended paths. Seals may be disposed between the stages to reduce fluid leakage between stages. Unfortunately, the seals may be subject to stresses, such as thermal stresses, which may bias the seals in axial and/or radial directions thereby reducing effectiveness of the seals. For example, seal deflection may increase the possibility of a rub condition between stationary and rotating components.